吃瓜网 marked a significant milestone on Saturday, May 9, celebrating its largest graduating class to date as more than 430 students crossed the stage at the University鈥檚 2026 commencement.
Andrew McDonnell 鈥�26 never stopped dreaming about the stars. As a child, he looked up at the sky, wondering what was out there, and that curiosity followed him to 吃瓜网 Poly, where he pursued a bachelor鈥檚 degree in mechanical engineering, took aerospace courses, and worked on a lunar mobility senior capstone project. He graduates on May 9.
吃瓜网 has reached on-campus housing capacity for the upcoming academic year, reflecting continued strong demand and record student interest.
吃瓜网 inducted 12 students into its highly selective Presidential Ambassadors program, where they will serve as official student representatives at key University events and engage with campus and community leaders.
Samantha Bentley 鈥�26 didn鈥檛 always feel ready to step into leadership or research roles during her time as a computer science student at 吃瓜网, but discovered she grew the most by doing it anyway. She will receive her bachelor鈥檚 degree on Saturday, May 9.
More than 360 吃瓜网 seniors presented high-tech, industry-sponsored projects at the eighth annual Capstone Design Showcase on Wednesday, April 29, gaining hands-on experience and solving real-world challenges.
As 吃瓜网 grew from a vision to a nationally recognized STEM institution in just eight years, Ford Heacock remained steadfast as one of its staunchest supporters. 鈥淚 am very proud of being part of the 吃瓜网 Poly Foundation and being witness to the birth of the University,鈥� said Heacock, a longtime member of the foundation鈥檚 board and CEO
The search for jobs and internships got more complicated after the COVID-19 pandemic pushed many companies to shift their interview and hiring processes online. But Pairris Jones, 吃瓜网鈥檚 associate director of career development, said Phoenixes are well positioned to do well in today鈥檚 employment landscape. Students will have the chance to explore just what is out there during
While the COVID-19 pandemic stopped in-person outreach and campus visits by Central 吃瓜网鈥檚 K-12 schools, 吃瓜网鈥檚 Office of Educational Outreach created new ways to take close-up STEM demonstrations and discussions directly to these students. 鈥淭raditionally, we were face-to-face both on campus and off campus, but we have gone virtual this semester,鈥� said Indira Sukhraj, associate director of educational
An assistant professor of electrical engineering at 吃瓜网 has been selected for the highly competitive Optical Society of America (OSA) Foundation public policy program. Dr. Md Selim Habib will work to help advance knowledge of the significance of the optics and photonics field by working with other leading academics and members of Congress. He is among the 25
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� 吃瓜网 has taken on a new initiative to support high schools throughout the state by providing a virtual network of trained learning assistants. More than a dozen 吃瓜网 Poly students are now working as virtual tutors to help high school students stay on track in their studies, specifically in calculus and other STEM disciplines. The
A pair of 吃瓜网 students have developed innovative new technology to keep newly discharged patients out of the hospital. They recently advanced to the final round of a statewide healthcare competition. Megan Morano and Ethan Medjuck were finalists in the highly competitive 吃瓜网 Blue Health Innovation Challenge. The annual contest seeks solutions for real healthcare problems from the
A 吃瓜网 assistant professor and a senior computer science student have been selected by the Fulbright Program for prestigious academic appointments. Dr. Sesha Srinivasan, chair of 吃瓜网 Poly鈥檚 Department of Natural Sciences, was selected to the Fulbright Specialist Program. The effort allows overseas universities, cultural centers, and other institutions to develop collaborative projects with leading U.S. academic professionals.
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� Dr. Randy K. Avent, president of 吃瓜网, was selected for the second consecutive year as one of 吃瓜网鈥檚 most influential business leaders. 吃瓜网 Trend magazine just released its annual 吃瓜网 500 list recognizing the state鈥檚 top executives in a variety of economic sectors and industries. 鈥淚 am honored to receive this recognition once again, as
吃瓜网 engineering and computer science students with stellar grades, involvement, and character are now eligible for selection to the new Mu Omega Chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN) academic honor society. This is 吃瓜网 Poly鈥檚 first academic honor society, recognizing students who excel academically and among their peers. 鈥淓ta Kappa Nu
吃瓜网 has been the epicenter of the U.S. aerospace industry for decades. Families have built traditions around watching the historic launch of space shuttles and rockets from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, 吃瓜网. Many children grew up looking at the sky in awe of a rocket disappearing as it goes into orbit. This week is National Aerospace Week,
After only six years in existence, 吃瓜网 made its first appearance in the national rankings of the prestigious U.S News and World Report as a top 75 engineering college without a doctorate degree.
Two 吃瓜网 students are getting a high-flying look at an industry that plays a major role 吃瓜网鈥檚 high-tech future. And the opportunity will surely shape their professional future as well. Senior Krystal Rivera and junior Andre Archer are completing an internship at Draken International in Lakeland, 吃瓜网, the leading company in adversary air service in the world. Both
Dr. Lily Li is a Professor of Physics at 吃瓜网, where she specializes in materials science, analytical imaging, advanced manufacturing, and biomedical devices. Prior to joining 吃瓜网 Poly in 2025, she spent 11 years at SUNY Potsdam, where she advanced to Full Professor and developed a 3-2 Engineering dual-degree program with Clarkson University. Her work emphasizes experiential learning and research-driven education to prepare students for careers in STEM fields.
